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Stephenson's most famous achievement was the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, opened in 1830 and linking two of the fastest-growing cities of [[Industrial Revolution]] [[England]]. Although this crossed largely flat terrain, the route involved considerable engineering difficulties, including the crossing of the Chat Moss marshland west of  [[Manchester]]. Stephenson spent much time, money and effort pouring earth and stone into the marsh to create a firm footing for the railway, without success. He decided instead to build the line upon hurdles of brushwood floating on the bog. The line is still in use.

Stephenson's most famous achievement was the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, opened in 1830 and linking two of the fastest-growing cities of [[Industrial Revolution]] [[England]]. Although this crossed largely flat terrain, the route involved considerable engineering difficulties, including the crossing of the Chat Moss marshland west of  [[Manchester]]. Stephenson spent much time, money and effort pouring earth and stone into the marsh to create a firm footing for the railway, without success. He decided instead to build the line upon hurdles of brushwood floating on the bog. The line is still in use.

[[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] (1806–1859) was the world's leading railway engineer of the 1840s and 1850s, creditied with bridges and many technical improvements, and more importantly with the idea of a railway as a system for moving people and freight.  Brunel set the standard for a very-well-built railway, using careful surveys to minimize grades and curves. That necessitated expensive construction techniques and new bridges and viaducts, and the famous two-mile-long  "Box Tunnel." His assistant Daniel Gooch designed the locomotives.  One controversial feature was the wide gauge (7 feet, instead of the standard 4'8.5"), which added to passenger comfort but made construction much more expensive and caused difficulties when eventually it had to interconnect with other railways using standard gauge; after its death the gauge was changed to normal.   

[[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] (1806–1859) was the world's leading railway engineer of the 1840s and 1850s, credited with bridges and many technical improvements, and more importantly with the idea of a railway as a system for moving people and freight.  Brunel set the standard for a very-well-built railway, using careful surveys to minimize grades and curves. That necessitated expensive construction techniques and new bridges and viaducts, and the famous two-mile-long  "Box Tunnel." His assistant Daniel Gooch designed the locomotives.  One controversial feature was the wide gauge (7 feet, instead of the standard 4'8.5"), which added to passenger comfort but made construction much more expensive and caused difficulties when eventually it had to interconnect with other railways using standard gauge; after his death the gauge was changed to standard.   

The opening of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway marked the opening of the 'Railway Age' in Britain and the world. Within three decades most of the major cities in Britain were linked by rail, and railway networks had begun to spread acoss the deveoped nations of the world.

The opening of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway marked the opening of the 'Railway Age' in Britain and the world. Within three decades most of the major cities in Britain were linked by rail, and railway networks had begun to spread acoss the deveoped nations of the world.